Merging our efforts
Engaging individuals, communities and government to bring the NCDs into the public spotlight and on national agenda. We are partnering with both health and non-health sectors to urge community behavior changes such doing physical activities, regularly NCDs check-up and eating healthier diet as the vital factors in the prevention of NCDs. It also underlines the need for continued advocacy for and support of screening initiatives nationwide as part of a comprehensive prevention and treatment response to the diseases.
Car Free Day Initiative
It is a bi-monthly mass sport initiated and organized by the City of Kigali and partners since 2016. Its primary goal is to promote sports culture to prevent non-communicable diseases among Kigali City residents and make Kigali a green city, free from air pollution. It occurs on each first and third Sunday of the month where some roads are restricted for motor vehicles exclusively for walking, running, and cycling.
Rwanda NCD Alliance and Ministry of Health through Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) play a central role in providing Car Free day package that includes free NCDs medical check-ups, raising NCDs awareness, healthy lifestyle education aiming at prevention, early detection, and fighting non-communicable diseases to the participants.
The City Cancer Challenge
It is a multi-stakeholder approach that engages all city stakeholders in the design, planning, and implementation of cancer care solutions to encourage and support cities to improve the health of their citizens and reduce inequalities in access to quality cancer care.
Rwanda NCD Alliance is part of the Kigali city cancer challenge executive committee to build a collective movement of the city supported by a network of global and local partners to deliver quality, equitable and sustainable cancer treatment solutions for all.
Action Research
Since 2015, the City of Kigali, with other partners, including Rwanda NCD Alliance, organizes an annual mass campaign on NCDs to improve residents’ awareness for early detection awareness and enhance prevention.
Action research was done in 2018, aiming to understand the utility and effectiveness of the mass campaigns for improved services. To generate a better understanding of the factors influencing success or failure and enhance the impact of the 2020 NCDs mass campaign, in 2019, action research happened again.
Healthy Life Program
This is regular mass awareness campaigns on communicable diseases prevention, education and free screening established by the City of Kigali in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Rwanda Biomedical Center, Rwanda NCD Alliance, and Enabel.
We are engaged in healthy living programs to modify people's perceptions of what it takes to live a healthy lifestyle in terms of NCD prevention and care. Specifically by supporting people in becoming aware of National and Global health behaviour guidelines and how to successfully integrate them into daily routines, thereby setting health and wellness goals.
Via this program, we provide educational resources and engagement opportunities to the community, starting with City of Kigali residents, in order to educate them on how to make better-informed health choices. We believe that by making slight adjustments in our everyday lives, we can enhance our overall health.
Smoke Free City
In a continued effort to curb NCDs, in November 2017, the City of Kigali, conjointly with the Partnership for Healthy Cities, launched an initiative to restrict smoking in public spaces and create a completely smoke-free city through mobilization campaigns and regulatory enforcement, and healthy lifestyles.
To implement this commitment, the City of Kigali is working with the Ministry of Health, Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), and other stakeholders, including the Rwanda NCD Alliance.